When to Plant Arborvitae in Missouri

Growing Arborvitae in Missouri: Complete Guide

Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is planted as nursery stock — a container-grown or bare-root plant from a garden center, not seed. Depending on your zone, the ideal spring window in Missouri falls between February 20, 2027 (Zone 8a) and March 28, 2027 (Zone 5b); early fall works too, once summer heat breaks.

Because Missouri stretches across 6 USDA hardiness zones (5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a), planting windows can shift by as much as six to eight weeks from one end of the state to the other. Gardeners in the warmer southern zones can start earlier, while those in cooler northern zones should wait until the zone table above shows their last frost has passed.

Arborvitae requires full sun to light shade and moderate; water well first year moisture. Midwest growing seasons are compressed between late spring frosts and fall cold snaps, so timing transplants precisely pays off.

For the most precise planting dates tailored to your exact location, enter your ZIP code on our planting calendar or use the zone table above to find the schedule for your area of Missouri.